Spatial restrictions inside the housing of a portable data processing unit have resulted in the establishment of relative small spatial dimension standards for data access devices for use with a portable unit. As a result, what is generally referred to as a "computer communications card" has evolved for connecting the computer to various data communications interfaces for transmitting multiple transmission protocols. For example, one set of standards for these type cards has been developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association "PCMCIA"). This type of memory card is often referred to as a "PCMCIA" card and is in the form of a wafer approximately the size of a credit card.
The relative small size of the communications card does not allow for connections to any conventional interfaces such as telephone jacks, battery holders, Local Area Network (LAN) jacks, and other such devices. As a result, many communications cards utilize cables with thin connectors that are plugged into the card on one end with conventional interfaces at the other end. In many cases, the cable creates problems, such as, for example, a limited data transfer rate. Therefore, some manufacturers have designed bulges or enclosures at the end of the communications card and extending from one surface thereof which can provide the additional space required for the conventional interfaces without the problematic cable. The bulges and enclosures, however, create another problem in connection with units that utilize two closely spaced sockets that will accept one card each. More particularly, the problem occurs when the lower socket is used to accommodate a card with a bulge or enclosure attachment since, once the card is completely engaged, the bulge or enclosure blocks a portion of the upper socket rendering it useless. One way to solve this problem is to invert the card and insert it in the lower socket so that the bulge or enclosure will extend downwardly and not upperwardly blocking the upper socket. However, communications cards and sockets are designed to make inverted insertion impossible.
Therefore, an interface is needed to permit the card to be invertedly inserted to allow use of both sockets regardless of the bulges or enclosures at the end of the cards.